The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1887-12-30

Il
4 Terrible Calamity Avsrssa - me
Breaking Dswn % Locomstive.
] have brother who Is now In the
grocery business In Richmond. Va.
but he was for eleven years dis
patchcr on Southern road. He u
sober. quick-witted and industrious
man. but although he II only thirty |
six years old. his hair II almost as
white rs snow. and there are times
when the cold sweat stands on his
forehead and he trembles like a leaf.
When be was a dispatcher. one
warm afternoon in August he was fam
ming himself and trying. without
meeting with much success. 70 counter
act the effects u the hot winds. which
sometimes blew In that part Of the
country, in addition 10 the intense
heat from the sun. which shone on the
awning oycrhanging his window. lie
had been closely confined TO the Office
Tor many months. and the constant
strain had probably wearicd both body
and mind. At any rate he had sent an
order for an express train ~ meet
special. on which were number OF
officers Of the road, at certain sta
ton; then. by ono Of those unaccounta-
bic slips sometimes made by the most
wcll-trained and careful minds, ordered
the special to a station by the meeting
point He took his finger from
the key and his eyes from the train
sheet, and again began to fan him
self vigorously and allowed his mind
10 wander at will. A few minutes az
terward, more from force Of habit than
from any other reason. his eyes were
cast over the train sheet. Like Hash
Of lightning. almost at the instant be
saw his mistake. He seized the key
and was about TO correct II, when he
realized to his horror that It was toe
late. Both trains had been reported
! as having passed their stations scvera
minutes before and were now fast max
ing toward each other at not less thar
forty miles an hour. When the Ger
tain result Of his fearful blunder full,
! dawned upon him. he tried to get M
but his limbs were numb and refused
to fulfill their functions A. ne eS
pressed II. he saw the two trains a
: they were rapidly approaching eac'
: other; saw them but a mile apart. wit
: their precious loads Of human freight
= He knew every inch Of the road. an
= knew that where they must meet Their
y was a high wall of rock on one sid
e and deep ravine on the other; kne'
e that horrible death awaited in AZ
4 other instant almost two-thirds OF III
y passengers Of both trains. for It WI
= on y curve. where the engineers coul
=. not see each other until It would be .
late. then . mist came before his eye
q and. as he almost tainted. he saw
a his minds eve. the crash Of the Nv
u engines, and telescoped cars roll ov
D. the embankment and piled In gre
OF heap. Loud above the Kissing stea
eu he heard the cries Of the dying.
- tainted away.
no When he recovered consciousness
ne heard his call on the line. With
ke most a superhuman effort he arose a
answered. The operator at the 8
: ton to which he sent the order TO
p special then told him that the engi
ne Of the special had broken down ~
'e was pulling out and he wanted furtt
an orders. Hold itr' he flashed bas
Ier and a mountain rolled Of his min
ler In another moment, when he had III
ne 70 collect his thoughts. he attempt
Q 10 90 to q window. but found that
ne limbs we're numb and the cold sw'
out was standing on his hands and 70
ID head. There was also a strange stir
tev ing sensation az the roots OF his hs
rs though some one was pricking b
l." on the head with many needles. II
az night when he left the Office and "
tbs 4 great effort walked home his "
"; jokingly asked him what he had put
rep his hair. Upon looking into the 81
hat he was Mortified to sec that II had
lus those few moments become almost
the white as snow.
ON He resigned his position next
without giving cause for 50 dol
the Often since then he has told me 4
J in money could not hire him to again
ow ccpt position rs train dispatcher
the philadelphia Ncirs.